Window Shopping
by SadisticRed
Summary: He used to hate window shopping. SLASH. Chyan.


Title: Window Shopping  
Rating: PG 13 for implied sex, nakedness and fluffy goodness  
Warnings: none  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just the idea and my imagination.  
Summary: He used to hate window shopping.  
A/N: I thought I would try a second Chyan fic, and here it is. It is short, just under 1000 words, but sweet and simple. I hope you like it. Comments are begged for.

There were many things Chad hated about hanging out with girls, even if he had another male counterpart with him, but one of the worst was their insane inclination for window shopping. It was customary to see Troy, Chad, and Jason walking behind their perspective girlfriends (although, in Chad's case, ex-girlfriend) as the girls swooned over things they wanted but wouldn't buy. Not one of the guys understood the girls' penchant for the pointless, and tiring, act they were being subjected to, but they went along anyways, grumbling the entire way.

On one such occasion, it was only Troy that Chad had to share the experience with in the place they had come to refer to as 'hell'. Gabriella and Taylor were many paces ahead, ahhing at some outfit in some window of some store that Chad couldn't care less about. Of course, as fate would have it, his mind quickly changed as his eyes caught a light blue, cotton looking fedora that sat atop some male mannequin's bald head. It was plain in a beautiful sort of way that made Chad have to buy it. He quickly strayed from the group to search for the hat. He found what he was looking for swiftly with Troy and the girls right behind him.

"What are you doing?" Troy asked, bewildered at his friend's change in attitude, but also amused at the blue hat he held against his chest as if someone was about to swoop down and steal it from him.

Chad looked up, a shameful but defiant look on his face as he held up the hat, "Buying this."

Taylor looked ready to bust from holding in her laughter, "You aren't supposed to buy things while we window shop, it defeats the purpose." She pointed out once she controlled herself; although, not for long as Gabriella joined her fight to keep it inside.

"And what do you want a hat like that for anyways?" Troy couldn't keep his amusement out of his voice.

"To wear it. What else do you do with a hat?" Chad asked incredulously, but obviously hiding his embarrassment. Troy raised his eyebrows questioningly, "And I happen to look good in blue, thank you very much." Chad quipped before turning to pay for the damned thing, their raucous laughter following him to the register.

It was not the last time Chad bought a hat on a whim while on their shopping, and yet not-shopping, trips. It became routine to look for hats that seemed to call for him while walking along. His friends suspected insanity and he did not offer an explanation to defer it. He saw nothing untoward about his buying hats; at least, not until he spent his gas money for the week on a black silk bowler-like hat with red trim that he 'just had to have'. He ended up having to bum rides off people the rest of the week. It was then he knew he had a problem. Each hat he obtained went straight into a bin in the back of his closet. He never once wore them or even tried them on. They went into the bin and stayed there.

The week after he realized his problem, he could be found on his bed with the bin out and the hats strewn across his bed. They ranged in all sizes, types, and colors, but all of them were elegant. It was the only commonality between the dozen of hats. The similarity between the window shopping the girls loved and keeping hats he would never wear was not lost on Chad. In fact, it made him appreciate the act more and more. He picked each one up individually, pondering the reason behind his impulse buying, and coming up the same person in mind as he did.

It was that night, as he lay in his newly cleaned off bed, a soft and warm body pressed against him as he came down from the high him and his lover had just experienced, that he accepted the impulse shopping and wasting of money. They lay there, discussing inconsequential things, when Ryan mentioned the loss of his favorite hat. It was a light blue, cotton hat that was lost in the abyss they called their house. Ryan had apparently searched frantically with the maid all over the expansions of their abode, but it was a lost cause. Chad couldn't help but kiss the blonde's scrunched up nose as he slipped out from under the warm blanket. The night air hit his naked body causing him to shiver, but did not sway him from his task.

He knew exactly where the hat was in the bin. It was the first hat he had bought and was more than okay with allowing Ryan to keep it for himself. The man in his thoughts was sitting up in bed, curiosity seeping from him as he watched the beautiful, chocolate brown man pull out a gray, plastic bin from the mess in his closet. "What are you doing?" The blonde's voice questioned quietly as Chad picked up what he was undoubtedly searching for. Ryan couldn't help but gasp as Chad turned around with a hat, similar but not identical to the hat he had just described, in his wintry hands. "Why do you have a hat in your closet?" He asked in wonder as Chad once again joined him, taking the hat from him.

"I have a whole collection of hats in there." Chad said simply, making as if to roll over and go to sleep.

Ryan looked wistfully at the hat in his hands once more before sitting it on the side table and laying his head on his lover's side, "But why?" He whispered.

Chad's hand, which had been hiding under the blanket to keep warm, came up and stroked the mussed hair, "Because you like hats." And it was as simple as that.


End file.
